Photo: EverythingGP

By Shane Clausing

budget approved

County approves 2022 budget

Apr 14, 2022 | 5:16 PM

The County of Grande Prairie says council has officially approved the 2022 capital and operating budgets.

In this year’s budget, taxpayers will see no increase in the current municipal tax rate. This is the third year in a row the county has made it so there is no increase in municipal taxes.

This year’s overall budget is set at $188 million and will include $104 million for general operations, $7 million for debt payments and $77 million for capital which includes $39.7 million in projects carried over from previous years.

While no tax increase is a good thing for taxpayers, the county says it is still contending with millions of dollars in lost revenue following provincial changes to how industrial properties are assessed.

Between the holiday on taxes for new well and pipeline assessments and the permanently eliminated Well Drilling Equipment tax, lost revenue is estimated to be more than $4.5 million.

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Along with the changes to assessment, there are approximately $2 million dollars in unpaid property taxes.

However, thanks to growth in assessment in the past year, which includes new development as well as market value inflation, the county was able to balance the overall budget.

This year’s budget also will include financial implications for Hythe after it dissolved into the County of Grande Prairie.

Other budget highlights include:

• Approximately 69 per cent of the capital budget is going towards capital road and bridge projects including carryovers.
• $10 million toward the Highway 40 Twinning and Bridge Construction project, $3.33 million per year from 2021 to 2023 cost-shared with the Province and MD of Greenview
• $6.5 million in recreation, community, culture, library, seniors & special needs transportation, and FCSS grants to various organizations across the region
• $3.8 million in contributions to Aquatera for the Clairmont Regional Lift Station
• $2.4 million in Intermunicipal Collaboration Framework (ICF) contributions, cost-sharing agreements with other municipalities, including the City of Grande Prairie and the towns of Beaverlodge, Sexsmith, and Wembley
• $1.45 million to the Town of Beaverlodge for their new fire hall from 2019 to 2022, including an additional $450,000 for increased project costs
• $1.3 million to the City of Grande Prairie for the revenue sharing agreement which has the purpose of fostering regional development (share of municipal tax revenue – 20 per cent from the co-generational facility and 10 per cent on any new commercial/industrial development in areas serviced by Aquatera)
• $596,667 to Aquatera to subsidize wastewater rate increases for County residents connected to the system
• $200,000 for the land acquisition and design for the Teepee Creek Fire Hall replacement